Samyukta Morcha of Anganwadi Employees’ Federations

Tens of thousands of Anganwadi workers and helpers from nook and corner of the country poured into Delhi an marched to Parliament demanding with one voice “SAVE ICDS” by making necessary financial provisions in the Budget to strengthen the scheme for the future young India and a fair deal for the Anganwadi workers and helpers.

Twenty seven lakh Anganwadi workers and helpers and about more than ten crore beneficiaries are affected by the drastic cut in the the allocation for ICDS in the Union budget 2016-17 to Rs.8245.77 crores from Rs. 18,108 crores the previous year. This is in spite of several recommendations from the planning commission, various Parliamentary committees, expert groups, organisations etc. The drastic cut in the allocation has already affected the whole functioning of ICDS. The workers and helpers are not getting their honorarium for more than six months in consecution. The quantity and quality of food has come down. The anganwadi workers and helpers are paid a paltry amount of Rs. 3000 and 1500p.m ‘honorarium’ which is not been increased since 2011.

The March to Parliament has been organised by Samyukta Morcha of Anganwadi Employees’ Federations, a joint platform of Anganwadi Federations affiliated to Central Trade Unions: AICCTU, AITUC, AIUTUC, CITU, HMS and INTUC. The women gathered at Jantar Mantar and marched towards Parliament and culminated on Parliament Street in a huge Public Meeting.

Sashi yadav from AICCTU, Dr B V Vijayalakshmi and Amarjeet Kaur from AITUC, Kamalesh Chahal from AIUTUC, A R Sindhu from CITU, Neelam Pandey and M A Patil from HMS and Dharmveer and Lata Yadav from INTUC were the speakers. Usha Saini from AITUC, Usha Rani from CITU, Shalini from HMS were the presidium.

The delegation led by Shri Tapan Sen and Shri D Raja Members of Parliament consisted of A R Sindhu(CITU), B V Vijayalakshmi(AITUC), Sashi Yadav, Rajeev Dimri(AICCTU), M A Patil (HMS) and Kamalesh Chahal(AIUTUC).

The Finance Minister said that the government want to spend on schemes like ICDS and agreed that the remunerations paid to them is too little. He told the delegation that he will try to increase the allocation and the honorarium in the budget.

Samyukta Morcha had called upon the anganwadi workers and helpers of the country to observe “protest week “ starting on 1 March 2016 by organising rallies dharnas, demonstrations etc in every village and block in the country, in case the budget do not take care of the demands.

The Demands1. Budget Allocation for ICDS to be increased to minimum of Rs.36,000 crores to ensure proper infrastructure, good quality nutritional food and decent living condition to the employees.2. No privatisation of ICDS in any form. No handing over ICDS to Corporates like Vedanta and NGOs like ISKCON3. Anganwadi Workers and Helpers must be regularised as Class III and Class IV government employees respectively. Pending regularisation they should be paid Minimum wages not less than Rs.18,000 per month along with D.A. and a pension of minimum of Rs. 3000/- linked with VDA to the retirees who served their whole life for the noble cause.4. Immediate implementation of the 45th ILC recommendations for scheme workers